Shutting Logan Township's Repaupo fire station a rash action: Letter

A long string of fire trucks leads Logan Township's Fourth of July Parade in 2007.-Photo by Jonathan WellsSouth Jersey Times

To the Editor:

On May 10, all fire and emergency equipment and gear were removed from the Repaupo Fire Station in Logan Township by order of the appointed municipal fire chief and other township officials (article, May 14).

The removal of this equipment was based on their decision that due to a low number of active members — about five — and a low percentage of the township's overall emergency calls, it was not economically feasible to keep the Repaupo station open. (The fire bureau has two other stations, at Bridgeport and Beckett. Repaupo firefighters have been reassigned to Bridgeport.

One reason for the low percentage of responses is that often, when Repaupo was responding and on the road, they were recalled and ordered back to the station by the township's volunteer fire chief.

The Bridgeport and Repaupo companies were merged last year by the mayor and township council. All members became part of the Logan Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Before taking measures as drastic as closing Repaupo, wouldn't it have been more sensible to assign Bridgeport or Beckett personnel to Repaupo to cover for its alleged lack of manpower?

What will happen to the loyalty and trust among these firefighters who have always known that fellow firefighters would be there to cover their backs should a dangerous situation arise? Repaupo residents had always been assured since 1921 that some fire equipment and firemen would be housed in their firehouse.

The officials responsible for the transfer claim that Repaupo's equipment will be less than three miles away. That is about the same distance that reasssigned firefighters would have had to travel to assist at Repaupo.

There was no need to completely remove all fire trucks, gear and other apparatus from Repaupo.

Mayor Frank Minor has stated that this was a tax-saving measure. Repaupo residents also pay taxes. Maybe they would have liked to have had input into this decision before action was taken.